Such a spreader or stretcher is inter alia known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,719 according to which the operator manually seizes one of the lateral edge portions of a tobacco leaf close to its stalk or butt and its point or tip ends and passes this lateral edge portion into the gap between the base and the smoothing tool while in its open positon. The smoothing tool is then at once lowered to its closed position to cause a spreading or smoothing of the tobacco leaf in its transverse direction during the continuing relative movement between the leaf and the smoothing tool. In the embodiment of the apparatus concerned illustrated on the drawings of the patent the smoothing tool is a vertically movable brush and the base is constituted by a similar although stationarily located brush. It appears, however, from said reference that smoothing tools other than proper brushes may be used, for instance comparatively soft scrapers, rotating brush or fibre rollers and nozzles for emission of compressed air having a component of motion in the direction towards the trailing lateral edge of the tobacco leaf.
When using this device the operator must be careful to obtain a perfect spreading of the leading half of the leaf because the smoothing tool can be lowered to its closed or sweeping position only when the tool is behind operator's hands.